Fundraising with Family: Meet the Hankens

Tuesday May 08, 2018

Fundraising with Family:

Meet the Hankens

Spreading awareness about Parkinson’s seems to be one of the main functions of Parkinson's organizations and non-profits. The Hanken family has taken the initiative to raise money for the disease on their own.

The Hanken family—siblings Ron, Betty, and Sue—started fundraising for Parkinson's about fouryears ago. Ron, a person with Parkinson’s, motivated his sisters to start funding for the cause. By competing with their Bike Club, the Puyallup City Eagles, the family has raised over $20,000.

But the Hankens aren't new to fundraising:sisters Betty and Sue have previously worked to raise money for breast cancer. Sue had even shaved her head in solidarity with those affected by the disease.

The family has been able to use their connections within their Puyallup communityto partner with local businessesto raise money for fundraising events. It helps to includepeople you know in your community because they’re directly affected by the cause, andwilling to participate.Our neighborsask, “What can I give?”

People are willing to help because of the family’s credibility. Sue has been able to fundraise and network effectively because she works in downtown Puyallup. Betty remarks, “A person really has to have credibility and be able to show where the money is going because of scamming.” Building trust and being honest about where the proceeds are going can help more people support your cause.

Another way the family raises money is pooling the donationsand creating baskets with the Puyallup Eagles that people can bid on. Altogether, the auction brings in$2,000 or $3,000. The baskets are hand-made and presentedtobidders. Along with the baskets, if the money pooled together is large enough, they raffle the prize and that draws in a large amount of people.

Through their community's support, the Hankenshave,incredibly,started a walk for Parkinson’s. Members of their family and friends participate in the walk as well. The family also holds an annual bike ride with the Skid King—a local bike club. This year the ride was along the Tacoma Waterfront.

The Hankens'fundraising efforts go hand-in-hand with awareness. Thefamily hopes that Parkinson’s is highlighted more to the public; they also lookto the Northwest Parkinson's Foundation. NWPFencourages [people with Parkinson's]: whether it’s attending an online yoga session, eating a healthy diet, and having a strong relationship with their physician—to findactivities that are right for you.

The Hankens'community engagement is mighty work; it's also contagious.Ron says that having familial support has been instrumental to his positive outlook.Ron notes, “You can look at the positive or you can look at the negative. And I choose to look at the positive.” Having a healthyattitude, support, and exercises are all a part of Ron’s daily routine. A past competitive soccer player, Ron doesn’t participate in PD exercise programs but maintains the exercises of his age group. Ultimately, it’s important to maintain a health routine that is best suited for you.

To the Hankens,Parkinson’s means working together tofind a cure. Similarly, they hope that by spreading the word and raising awareness, the public’s perception of Parkinson's—a disease that affects everyonedifferently—will change as well. Even if Parkinson's Awareness Month is over, it doesn't mean that spreading awareness should end.